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The Malthouse – Malting Cellars
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Recently stabilised by English Heritage to allow
safe visitor access, the vast unique 17th century malting
cellars are available for public viewing every Saturday 12 noon
to 4pm during the months of April, May, June, July, September
and October.
The cellars extend beneath The Malthouse
and its gardens. |
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The present building
and cellars, parts of which date back to c1680 appear to have
been constructed from an open stone quarry that was vaulted over
in brick to form the cellars making a large dry area for
storage, steeping and malting barley. Inside the cellars the
temperature is fairly constant all year round.
In the mid 19th century Charles Smith and his family lived at
The Malthouse and operated a business from the cellars malting
barley. The malt was then sold to local Public Houses and Inns
for the brewing of beer and ales. Accounts from 1837 have been
found showing deliveries of malt to Great Gate, Alton Park,
Wooton Hall and Alton Towers. Records from 1841 show Charles and
his nephews’ occupation as “maltsters”. The family also made a
living as land surveyors mapping enclosures and tithe awards in
this part of Staffordshire.
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In 1888 the malting business closed. This was as
a result of the industrial revolution when road, rail and canal
transport allowed the breweries at Burton-upon-Trent to
distribute beer and ales directly to Public Houses and Inns.
The cellars were unused until 1940 when they became the village
air raid shelter and the nearby shop in Malthouse Road was the
Air Raid Wardens post (the shop is now part of our bed and
breakfast accommodation). In the 1960’s the house and malting
cellars were given a grade II listing under the Historic
Buildings and Monuments Act of 1953.
The listing was upgraded in 1995 to grade II star
to gain funding for the stabilisation work.
The project was carried out during the summer of
2005 and took six months to complete.
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